


Seldom

by cees



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Depression, M/M, Self-Harm, solitude hurts sometimes, two parts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-07 19:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7727365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cees/pseuds/cees
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Green hasn't heard from Red in months. It isn't like he cared, having Daisy visit and being locked in his room was enough. Still, catching the color Red or hearing his name made his day harder. [Two chapter]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Seclusion

**Author's Note:**

> Have a two part story about a sad Green.

Daisy hadn’t stopped to visit in three weeks. 

To Green, it was another silent day alone in his apartment, the small space to himself in the comfort that was Viridian City. The sparkling sun that beamed over the city was blocked by the blinds of Green’s window. Hiding the light, the bedroom where Green laid was starting to look messy as the piles of shirts and jeans began to appear day by day. It was another time spent in bed. He was staring at the ceiling of the chalky bedroom draped in only his usual blanket, along with the same pair of jeans from last night. Mostly, there was nothing going through his mind except regret, sometimes the feeling of self-doubt that strained his confidence of a blue ocean. It wasn’t proper of a Gym Leader to be lost at home and ignoring every single call from the trainers at his Gym. Green would have been the first. In addition, it wasn’t respectful to Green’s friends...and Red. 

Daisy had explained that situation when she visited a while back. Right after dragging him out of his room and handing Green some cleaning products for his pile of laundry. She was a pain, Green admitted but if it wasn’t for her then the apartment would be a complete clutter. Plus, Daisy was the one who was never afraid to get punchy if she needed to. A good example of that would be when Green refused to wash his dishes, only to wash them and return to bed with a bruised shoulder. His sister’s ideas of trying to keep him together were not the best, but Green thought it was a good way to have him alert. 

“Hm? Green!” Daisy had yelled at him one day.

Green rolled onto his side from his spot on the sofa, “Yeah?”

“You have _30_ missed calls! And one of them is from Red!”

She had picked up his Pokegear from the kitchen table, analyzing its deserted state. With most calls being from the trainers at Green’s Gym, Daisy noticed five of them were from her. However, the one she did not expect was the contact reading ‘ _Missed call from: Red_ '. The name seemed to catch her brother’s attention too as she caught him staring at the gear in her hand. Like usual, Green averted his gaze to stare at the ceiling once Daisy caught him. She smiled and giggled, tracing the calls with her index finger. “Dang, your boyfriend didn’t even leave a voicemail, Green.”

“Daisy!” Green’s sister heard before dodging a pillow that was thrown to her. 

When he recollected that memory of Daisy finding his Pokegear, Green groaned and buried his face into his cold pillow. Daisy knew how flustered Green got when she teased him about his crush. Of course, it was annoying and made Green have more reason to stay in bed. He expected his friends that knew about his current state were deeply worried about him, but Red? 

If anything, Red was still continuing his journey on Mt. Silver. The chilling, isolated mountain top that made Green wonder if there was something up there catching Red’s attention. Still, Green wouldn’t bring himself to ask him if they ever crossed paths due to the typical answer he would receive. ‘Training’ would be the only word that escaped the other’s lips when Green asked about Mt. Silver. What did that mountain have that he didn’t? Right, it wasn’t laying in bed until its confidence sparked back. 

Never would he admit it out loud but he missed him. _Alot_.

“He came to the house once.” Daisy admitted in the winter, “Asking about you and if were still acting like a baby in bed.”

That only made him feel ridiculous. Even if it was taken from him by Red, Green managed to defeat the elite four and get the championship. Currently, he was the Gym Leader in Viridian City and he could tell that he was tough due to giving the badge to around 3 trainers a week. At this rate, laying in bed in pure murkiness made him feel worse. Even if it did, the darkness of the room along with the silence was relaxing, irresistible when Green felt drowsy. 

Being alone in a quiet room with overwhelming thoughts, not wanting to start the day was dreadful. 

-

Around a month later, Daisy reappeared at his door with bags of food. 

She prepared some tea for both of them, spending most of her time placing the food away and sending Green to get dressed. Watching Daisy from the kitchen table, Green could tell she was getting tired of checking in on him because her visits became infrequent. The days turned a deeper shade of blue for Green, sometimes he didn’t even have the energy to open the door for Daisy. 

When Daisy entered his apartment with a red sundress, her usual tea from the Celadon department store in her hand- Green couldn’t move his hands. 

“Gee, brother.” Daisy placed her teacup down and noticed a distant Green, “Tell your sister what goes on in that mind of yours.”

Green shrugged, “Gym Leader stuff.” 

His sister knew not to push it any further, instead nodding at his fake answer. She had known of Green’s habit of not stopping at his Gym. Sure, Gym leader stuff sounded correct. When Daisy noticed Green spacing out and not having touched his tea, she rolled her eyes at him. Did he really think she was that oblivious?

It wasn’t until later that night that she realized the entire situation. It was obvious since the first weeks that he began to act up. The theory of what was on Green’s mind came clear to her, confirming her idea by his own words-

“Try not to wear Red again.” Daisy heard him mumble as she stepped out the door. 

-

Another month passed before Daisy came back. 

Green and Daisy sat on the kitchen table once again, tea on the table but this time they were sitting right next to each other. Green had his face buried on the hard, wooden surface as his hand was reached out and examined by his troubled sister. In silence, Daisy ran her fingers gently against Green’s wrist and she traced the lines of cuts along it. 

“Green…” She tried her best to grow a serious tone, “When?”

He was silent, embarrassed that he needed his sister to take care of him for so long. 

“Tell me, ok?”

“Fine- last few days were a bit too much..Red called!” He banged his hand on the table, “Not a big deal.”

“What? Red called?” 

“Yeah...three days ago.” Green leaned his face on his left hand to turn to look at Daisy, “He said he was trying to contact me but that’s a lie.”

Daisy raised her eyebrows, “Because you had your pokegear next to you, hm?”

“...Geez.”

Daisy coughed, “Anyway, Red has been calling me this whole time! I told him to reach me because _someone_ didn’t keep their phone around…”

“What?”

“Hee-hee!” Daisy gave him a smile, placing her hand over Green’s and giving it a squeeze. 

Green returned a small smile in her direction and felt lightened up. Daisy was a huge help after all.

-

Following her travels to the Celadon department store, Daisy stopped at Green’s apartment with a pleased expression on her face, a light-blue dress to match. She laughed to herself and pressed her unoccupied, cold hand to her blushing cheeks. _This had to work_ , she replayed the words in her mind, _if anything- this expressed it_. While walking down Route 7 towards Saffron City, the thought of fixing Green back to his over-confident self remained on her mind as she returned from the store. Daisy knew that if Green were to have a surprise party to cheer him up, he would say something along the lines of leaving him alone. 

With that being crossed off, she turned to the most personal and helpful person Green knew. 

Daisy had dialed Red earlier that morning, only after a few missed calls- greeted by the faint voice that belonged to him. They had talked for around ten minutes and in that short amount of time, Red understood the idea. Daisy knew he cared about Green a great quantity, even if he sounded uninterested on the Pokegear. Moving on, the older sister asked for his location to which Red replied with rebuff, only letting Daisy know that he would meet her at the Pokemon Center in Pewter City later that day.

Currently, they both stood at Green’s doorstep. Daisy had been knocking for almost five minutes, giving a nervous laugh as she noticed Red sigh. “Maybe you can set him well.” She spoke, staring at the hazel colored door for a sign of the doorknob rattling. “I really would like it if you did”. Daisy placed her hand on the doorknob, flashing her thoughts to the moment where they had been sitting on the kitchen table, running her fingers over Green’s scars. 

During that moment, Green noticed that she had lost it. 

As they both awaited for the door to open, they concluded from conversation. Noticing each other’s nervousness and sense of wanting to see what happened, was something Daisy hadn't experienced before. It was an off feeling, of course the silence wasn’t a comforting one. “You know him.” Her bright voice turning to a more stern tone, biting her lip. Red shifted his eyes to Daisy before becoming alerted at the sudden turning of the door. He gulped, realizing how much the negative energy around the apartment loomed over Daisy and him. This wasn’t going to be a walk in the park but when Daisy placed her hand around Red’s wrist, he knew he had to do his best. Immediately, Green’s sister filled him with verve. 

When he took the first step into Green’s apartment since months, Red trembled.


	2. Talk to me Beyond the Trees

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had many options for the ending. This one seemed the most personal.

Red was greeted by a swift of cold air when he entered. Daisy pushed him to go inside and talk to Green while she went off to do some errands. Not only did Red not believe her, but he knew she didn’t want to watch the confrontation. Daisy had spoken to him about the numerous, exacting visits she made to Green’s apartment within the months of his gloominess, hoping it would press him to try meeting her brother. Obviously, Daisy needed a break from dealing with the situation so Red gave no complaint when she sped away down the road. Confronting Green wasn’t on his list of things to do that day, he had no idea what to say to him. _Sorry I ran off and didn’t tell you_? _You know where I was_?- It all seemed too selfish and Red didn't want to do it at all. 

No, he had to. 

When Daisy came for his aid, Red nearly agreed with most of what she said. Speaking about the way Green thinks about him alot, he understood what to do. First, Red had to do his best to console the Gym Leader about his time on Mt. Silver. He cared to tell him about the time he spent looking for him during the summer and his way of talking to Daisy over tea as an excuse to know about Green’s whereabouts. This way is how he discovered Green’s dejection- thinking that it was an odd trait that appeared on his rival’s manner. From his days spent on Mt. Silver, Red was not constant on contact with his friends nor Daisy but the thought of Green was persistent, which was non understandable. When his time came to visit the professor or his mother, Red trailed down then received the call from Daisy as he crossed Saffron City. 

“Green?” He cleared his racing mind, looking for Green.

There was no response.

Surprising, there was no sign of anyone. Red eyed the interior of the living room and glanced a moment at the isolated kitchen, ignoring the pile of plates with crumbs for the moment. He continued to walk towards the center of the apartment. It looked unused and on the edge of being messy. Noticing there was only Green’s bedroom to search in, Red moved towards the slightly open door- placing a hand on it’s clean texture. The Champion almost fell over in a tumble when he noticed a pair of fluffy brown pair of ears peek through the doorway. Taking a step back, Red allowed the noticeable Eevee to stretch out it’s body and snuggle his leg. _Oh, Green’s Eevee_ he thought, taking out a pokeball from his pocket that contained Pikachu. He released Pikachu from the comfort of it’s ball, immediately watching it run after Eevee with glee. 

“Green.” Red called as he pushed open the door. 

“So you’re back.”

Hesitant, Red entered Green’s dim bedroom, and closing the door behind him. The only light coming into the room was from the slight glow of the blinds, illuminating a faint glow onto Green’s floor. The imprecise white light coming through was not enough for Red to see the person in front of him. Sighing, Red shifted towards the blinds, almost tripping over a wire and opened the blinds. It took some seconds to get used to the sudden flashing sunlight that covered the room. Green recoiled at the brightness, “Hey, a warning would have been better”.

Red adjusted his hat, “I am here.”

“Whatever, I can tell.”

“Green-”

The Gym Leader stared at the floor as he sat on the edge of his messy bed. He avoided Red’s stern look and ran his fingers through his brown hair. “Here to boast your victory? I know already, Red.” Green interrupted the other, “You’re just wasting my time.”

Red let out a breathe as he spotted the familiar arrogant words of Green. He clenched his fists, “Sounds more like you’re wasting your own.” 

Green knitted his eyebrows and remained silent after Red’s comeback, not wanting to speak. “What are you up to?” Red questioned, leaning back onto the wall besides the window. It was an odd situation- himself now being more talkative than Green, who would joke with him too much. Red figured his question sounded awkward. Still, seeing the Gym Leader in grief made any attempt worth a try. “Green?” He repeated his name, noticing that Green hadn’t answered. 

“I don’t know.” Green muttered, “Why are you here? Isn’t that mountain your home or what?”

Red sighed, “No- I am here to talk.”

“Suprising.”

The conversation died down after an exhale from Green, who continued to eye the floor as if he was focusing. Red was struggling on convincing the other of returning to his Gym, still in confusion of Green’s behavior. He tilted his head to the right and proceeded to take a seat next to Green on the edge of the bed. They progressed the time with no words, instead their breathing in sync being the only noise in the room. On the other side of the wall, the muffled playful cries of Pikachu and Eevee chasing each other were heard. The Pokemon lightened the mood for Green, reminding him of the times he and Red would play catch with them. Lost in thought, he placed his hand over Red’s- feeling the warm touch of Red’s knuckles. It felt _right_.

“I still love you.”

The words escaped Green’s mouth faster than he could calculate the thought in mind. Of course, he wasn’t lying and there was no doubt behind it. What Green feared was that he would receive the answer that Green had first gotten. Anything but that ‘ _I don’t feel anything_ ’.

“That again...?” Red raised an eyebrow but didn’t pull his hand away.

Green gave it a squeeze, “Yeah.”

Red froze and didn’t reply. Would it be appropriate to let go? He knew it was better for both of them if he did. Quickly, he forgot what he planned to say to Green. Red had no idea how romance worked, only the faint idea from some movies. Did he feel that way towards Green- his rival of many years? Probably, but he wouldn’t show it. Red figured he wouldn’t be able to maintain a relationship while away on Mt. Silver. He moved his view to glance at the pile of their hands as it made a perfect pair, warmth to warmth. It made a small blush grow on the corners of his cheeks and his heart filled with a nice feeling. Truly, Green was his best friend- he felt a lot like home. 

When they were kids, strolling onto Pallet town’s streets and visiting Professor Oak. The time when Green scraped himself on a tree and tried to hide his tears. Whenever the sun began to leave, turning to the starry night sky and spending the night at Green’s house. It was the feeling of watching an amazing, breathtaking Pokemon battle on his computer, running to Green to talk about it. Most importantly, trying to beat one another in completing the Pokedex and winning against Green at the Elite Four. Everything- those moments- they were _theirs_.

“I mean, I don’t really care.” Green turned to catch Red’s eye, “Besides, you said your point anyways.”

_Home_.

“Guess I should head back to the Gym, huh?” Green stood, stretching his arms over his head.

_Moments_.

As Green placed his hands on his hips with his usual mischievous smile, Red only gazed at him. He felt his eyes light up as he watched the other and Green frowned, hands hanging back at his sides. “What?” 

“Green, I-”

No. Red stopped, instead looking at the window past Green’s figure. If Green was questioning him again, he didn’t hear it. In reality, Red felt the urge to not continue his sentence as he watched the outskirts of Viridian City outside. He felt ridiculous that he was spacing out with Green looking at him. However, Red couldn’t bring himself to say he loved Green too- the act of hurting their friendship was too risky. There was also the point of traveling to Mt. Silver frequently and that meant leaving Green to be by himself. Would he hurt Green by leaving him? Most likely. Even if Red did carry the mutual feeling, he couldn’t just abandon his training to stay with his boyfriend. Not only would it disappoint him, but he knew his Pokemon would be bummed, considering they liked getting stronger. It seemed to Red that he was focusing on the negatives but would he even be ok in a relationship? A good partner? He doubted it. 

There was only the right answer.

“Red!” Green tapped his shoulder, “What is it?”

“I-” Red didn’t mean to stutter, “I don’t like you like that.”

The Gym Leader was stunned at the same rejection that he recieved months ago. Not looking at Green’s expression, Red pulled his hat down and nearly ran out of the room. He pushed open the bedroom door to the living room, grabbing a hold of Pikachu. Without looking back, Red slammed Green’s front door behind him as he clinged to a confused Pikachu, running to the border of Viridian City- the same scene he had seen when he looked out the window. 

Green regained his strength and sprinted towards the front door, throwing it open as he viewed the road in opposite directions. He gulped and sped towards the open road of the city, not caring that he left his front door open for Eevee to wander after him. He looked in both directions to look for the sign of Red’s hat or a speeding yellow mouse. After three minutes, Green felt his arms turn weak as he found no sign of the other. “Uwee?” Eevee ran in circles around Green’s feet but he didn’t have the courage to look down. There wasn’t anything left.

-

The freezing breeze of the chilling mountain top made Red crave something warm. It was nothing new, but there was always room for a cup of tea or hot chocolate in his frosty system. Additionally, it had been a whole week since he last ran away from Green. Red tried to not allow it to disrupt his thoughts and training, but the ringing of his PokeGear didn’t help. Everytime he checked- the caller was the same person. Sometimes Daisy would pop into the numerous calls that were reaching him, but only picked up the phone for her once out of the fifty or so calls. In that short time she had blurted a load of information to Red. “ _I wish you would come down again_!” Daisy would say, “ _My brother doesn’t let any of his Pokemon out anymore- except Eevee_!” 

A huge part of their conversation was about Green.

Red responded with some remorse to Green’s sister, the usual “I’m sorry to hear” or “I will see you soon”. Daisy hadn’t known of what happened that day he ran off, instead being greeted by silence when the topic popped up. Without doubt, Red knew that Green hadn’t spoken of it either or Daisy wouldn't have asked. He would make plans to come down on a certain day to meet with her, but Red couldn’t show up. After their ‘planned’ visits, he would ignore her calls. 

It was childish to run away from his problems, Red was aware. Still, he didn’t know what to do. 

-

“I’m coming down this time…”

Red’s warm voice drifted over the PokeGear as he climbed down a ledge. 

“Red-” Daisy’s reply was soft. 

“No, I really am.” 

Red huffed before resting on a nearby rock, wiping some snow from his coat. “I didn’t go last time-”

Daisy gave a sudden cry, “Well you should have!”

“...I know.”

“A-And should have I!”

With the wind almost blowing his hat away, Red tried to keep calm while Daisy was yelling. What did she mean? Was she not there for Green either? It wasn’t shocking but odd.

He sighed, “What do you mean?”

“He- M-My Green is gone!”

The way Daisy stuttered over the PokeGear felt like she was at the mountain with him. Red could tell she was in tears, sobbing and hitting her tea cup under the plate. “What?” He felt the feeling move through him: _remorse_. “Hey?!”

“Green...he did the worst.”

By that tone, by those words, and by Green’s behavior- Red knew exactly what she was talking about. He was gone. It hit him like a punch in the gut, falling off the cold rock he had been sitting on- moving to the pile of snow covered grass beside it. He clutched the strands of green that stood up in the snow. Red almost turned his hand to an ice shard as he stared blankly at the horizon over the mountain. He could tell that Daisy also kept quiet, almost as if they were syncing their grief together. Red’s face grew hot even if the weather was chilling, he didn’t want to move.

The one chance was lost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, this ruined my day too.
> 
> -Thanks for Reading


End file.
